Containers for fragile articles



Feb. 1, 1966 P. MAIO 3,232,513

CONTAINERS FOR FRAGILE ARTICLES Original Filed Nov. 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l r- Ci 0 f 5:1 :5

INVENTOR W/CK. WAY/a Feb. 1, 1966 P. MAIO CONTAINERS FOR PRAGILE ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 15, 1962 INVENTOR Par/Pick VA/o ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,232,513 CONTAINERS FGR FRAGILE ARTIQLES Patrick Maio, Wood-Ridge, Ni, assignor to Continental Folding Paper Box (10., Inc, Ridgefield, N.J., a corporation of New York Original application Nov. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 237,841, now

Patent No. 3,182,885, dated lvlay 11, 1965. Divided and this application Feb. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 435,599

Claims. (Cl. 229-14) This application is a division of co-pending application Serial No. 237,841, filed November 15, 1962, now Patent 3,182,885, issued May 11, 1965.

The invention relates generally to containers for fragile articles, such as, electronic tubes and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a one-piece cardboard container for an electronic tube or other fragile article comprising a box that may be shipped and stored in the flat condition and has a cushioning structure therein which, in the erected condition of the box, is adapted to engage an electronic tube or other fragile article inserted therein and thereby protect the latter against shocks to which the outer box is subjected.

' In accordance with an aspect of this invention, a onepiece cardboard container for a fragile article comprises four foldably connected side walls angularly movable between a substantially fiat collapsed condition and an erected condition where the side walls define a box with right angled corners having end closures constituted by the usualflaps hingedly extending from the end edges of the side walls, and a cushioning structure in the box including wall portions hingedly connected to two opposed side walls of the box to which they are hingedly connected.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the locations at which the wall portions of the cushioning structure are hingedly connected to the two opposed side walls of the foldable box are adjacent the diagonally related corners of the box which are furthest from each other in the collapsed condition of the box, and the wall portions of the cushioning structure are foldable in opposite directions about medial lines thereof to move away from each other during erection of the box and thereby embrace an article placed between the wall portions of the cushioning structure. The distances from the medial lines of the wall portions of the cushioning structure to the locations where the wall portions are hingedly connected to the side walls of the box are preferably smaller than the width of the side walls of the box so that, in the erected condition of the box, the wall portions of the cushioning structure are skewed or obliquely related to the side walls of the box, thereby to hold a fragile article embraced by the cushioning structure out of contact with the side walls of the box. In this embodiment of the invention, the cushioning structure may be substantially coextensive with the side walls of the box in the longitudinal direction of the latter, or the cushioning structure may extend longitudinally only along approximately one-half of the length of the box, thereby to reduce the quantity of cardboard stock required for production of the container.

A further feature of the present embodiment of the invention is the provision of a hinged lateral part extending between the wall portions of the cushioning structure adjacent one end of the box in the erected condition of the latter, so that such lateral part is effective to space an article embraced by the cushioning structure from the adjacent end of the box.

A further object of the invention is to provide one-piece, die-cut blanks of cardboard stock that may be conveniently formed into containers having the above described characteristics merely by folding and glueing operations.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following de- 3,232 ,5 l3 Patented Feb. 1, 1966 "ice tailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a container embodying the present invention may be formed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a container formed from the blank of FIG. 1, but shown on an enlarged scale; 7

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the container taken along the line 33 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank from which a container constructed in accordance with still another embodiment of this invention may be formed;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a container formed from the blank of FIG. 4, but on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 66 on FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that a flat, one-piece blank 10 of cardboard stock which is die-cut so as to permit the forming therefrom of a container embodying this invention generally includes a box defining section 12 and a section 14 for defining the cushioning structure within the box.

The box defining section 12 includes. four rectangular side wall defining portions 16, 18, 20 and 22 of substantially equal areas joined successively to each other along fold lines 24, 26 and 28, respectively. The section 12 of the blank 10 further includes end flap defining portions 3t) and 32 extending from the opposite ends of the side wall defining portions 16 and 28, respectively, and joined to the latter along fold lines 34 and 36. The fiap defining portions 30 and 32 at one end of side wall defining portions 16 and 26 are intended to form an end closure of the box together with an end wall defining portion 38 extending from the adjacent end of the side wall defining portion 18 and joined to the latter along a fold line 40, while the flap defining portions 31 and 32 at the other ends of the side wall defining portions 16 and 20 are intended to form the other end closure of the box together with an end wall defining portion 38 joined along a fold line 40 to the adjacent end of side wall defining portion 22. The end wall defining portions 38 have tab defining portions 42 joined to their outer ends along fold lines 44. The box defining section 12 of blank 19 is com pleted by a narrow elongated portion 46 joined along a fold line 48 to the longitudinal edge of portion 22 remote from portion 20.

The blank 10 of FIG. 1 further has a section 14 in tended to define the cushioning structure of the container and generally including a rectangular portion 92 joined to the portion 46 of section 12 along a fold line 94. The rectangular portion 92 has parallel, spaced apart fold lines 96 and 98 extending therealong parallel to the fold line 94 with the distances between the fold lines 94 and 96 and the fold lines 96 and 98 being equal and each less than the width of the side wall defining portions 16, 18, 20 and 22. Between the fold line 98 and the adjacent longitudinal edge of rectangular portion 92 there is defined an elongated flap defining portion 10%), and a tab defining portion 162 extends centrally from the flap defining portion 100.

Transversely extending, spaced apart cuts 104 and 166 are formed in rectangular portion 92 between fold lines 94 and 98 so as to divide the area of portion 92 between those fold lines into a central wall defining portion 1E8 between cuts 184 and 106 and wall defining portions 11% and 112 extending from the cuts 104 and 106, respectively, to the adjacent end edges of rectangular portion 92.

In forming a container from the blank 10 of FIG. 1, adhesive is applied to the portions 46 and 106) at one surface of the blank, and to the tab 132 at the opposite surface of the blank. Thereafter, the blank is folded to produce the container 16a of FIGS. 2 and 3, in which the several parts are identified by the reference numerals used in connection with the corresponding parts of the blank, but with the letter a appended thereto. In folding the blank 10, the flap 100 is initially folded about the fold line 98 so that the adhesive bearing surface of flap 180 faces outwardly, while the adhesive bearing surface of tab 102 contacts the central wall defining portion 308 at one side of the fold line 96. Thereafter, side wall defining portions 22 and 20 are folded together about fold line 48 in the direction away from the adhesive bearing surface of portion 46, so that the adhesive on flap 100 engages the surface of side wall defining portion 20, and side wall defining portions 18 and 16 are then folded together about fold line 26 so that the free longitudinal edge portion of portion 16 is engaged by the adhesive on portion {ii 5.

The testil'ti'ng collapsed or flattened container is erected by angularly displacing the walls Zita and 22a away from the walls 16a and 18a of the box 12a. During such erection of the box, the wall portions 110a and 1120! of the cushioning structure 14a are folded in one direction about their medial lines 960, while the central wall portion 108a is made to fold in the opposite direction about its central or medial line 96a by reason of the adhesive attachment of the wall portion ltlsa to the tab 102a extending from flap ltttia which is adhesively secured to side wall 2% of the box it will be noted that the fold lines 94 andt dof the blank define the hinge lines 94a and @Sztat Which the wall portions ltlSa and 1100 and 112a of the cushioning structure are connected to the opposed side walls 160 and 20a of the box. Further it will be seen that such hinged connections 94a and 98a are spaced from the corners of the erected box 12a, but are relatively close to the diagonally opposed corners defined between the side walls 16:: and 22a and the side walls 13a and 20a respectively. Further, since the distances between the medial line 96a of the wall portions ltlSa, 110a and 112a and the hinge lines 94:: and 98a, respectively, are smaller than the width of each of the side walls of box 12a, the Wall portions 108a, 110a and 112a of the cushioning structure are skewed or obliquely arranged with respect to the side walls of the outer box 12a in the erected condition of the latter (FIG. 3). Thus, the wall portions of the cushioning structure 14a extend away from the adjacent side walls of the box 12a so that when a tube T, as represented in broken lines on FIG. 3, is inserted between the wall portion 108a and the wall portions lltla and 112a, such tube or other fragile article is spaced thereby from the side walls of the outer box so as to be protected from shocks to which the box may be subjected.

The cushioning structure of the type described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 may extend substantially along the entire length of the box of the container, as in the case of the cushioning structure 14, or the cushioning structure may extend only along approximately one-half the length of the box, as in the case of the container to be described in connection with FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

Referring to the form shown on FIG. 4, the blank from which such a container is to be formed has a box forming section 12 identical to the corresponding section of the previously described blank 10, and a section 14' intended to form the cushioning structure of the container and being generally similar to the section 14 of the blank 10, but only extending along approximately onehalf of the length the elongated portion 46 of the blank section 12. The various portions of the section 14 are identified by the same reference numerals as the corresponding portions of the section 14, but with a prime being appended to each reference numeral. Thus, the

shortened section 14' includes wall defining portions 1&8, 11%) and 112 divided by the cuts 104' and 106', a flap defining portion 1% extending from the wall defining portions along a fold line 98, and a tab defining portion 1&2 extending centrally from the flap 190'. Further, the section 14' of blank 19 preferably includes a leg defining portion 104 extending from flap 109 along a fold line 1% at one side of the tab N2 and terminating in a foldable tab defining portion 118.

In forming the container 101%: of FIGS. 5 and 6 from the blank 10' of FIG. 4, adhesive is initially applied to the tabs 1G2 and 118, at one surface of the blank and to the flap 1% and portion 46 of the blank, at the other surface of the blank. Thereafter, the blank 10 is folded in the manner previously described with respect to the blank 1% of FIG. 1. Thus, during the initial folding of the flap 106' about the fold line 8', the tab 102' is adhered to the wall defining portion 103, at one side of the fold line 96', While the tab 118 at the end of leg 104' is adhered to the wall defining portion 110 at the opposite side of the fold line 96'.

Upon erection of the container, as in FIGS. 5 and 6, the leg 104:: extends laterally across the lower part of the cushioning structure 14a between the edge of the flap 's: secured to the side wall 20a of the box and the wall portion 'a of the cushioning structure. Thus, a tube T represented by broken lines on FIG. 6, may be inserted in the cushioning structure where it is embraced by the wall portions 108a and 112'a, and thus held out of contact with the side walls of the box-12a, while the base or lower end of the tube rests on the laterally extending leg 104a so as to be held out of contact with the lower end closure of the box.

In cutting successive blanks 10' from a strip or sheet of cardboard stock, it will be apparent that the section 14 of one blank may be arranged next, or nested with respect to the section 14' of another blank, thereby to reduce the quantity of cardboard stock required for the sev-' eral blanks.

It will also be apparent that the blank 10 of FIG. 1, in which the section 14 for defining the cushioning structure of the container extends along substantially the entire length of the box defining section 12, may also be provided with a leg defining portion, similar to the portion 104 of the blank 10, and extending from the flap forming portion 100 at a location in lateral alignment with the wall defining portion 110 of section 14 so that the cushioning structure 14a of the resulting container shown on FIG. 2 will also have a laterally extending leg at the bottom of the cushioning structure to hold a tube or other fragile article embraced by the cushioning structure out of contact with the lower end closure of the box 12a.

It will further be noted that the described embodiments of the invention are all characterized by the provision of one-piece containers including a foldable or collapsible outer box and an inner cushioning structure foldable with the box and being adapted, in the erected condition of the box, to hold an electronic tube or other fragile article out of contact with at least the side walls of the box, thereby to cushion the article against shocks or impacts to which the box is subjected.

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein Without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A one-piece cardboard container for a fragile article comprising four foldably connected side walls angularly movable between a substantiallly flat collapsed condition and an erected condition where said side walls define a box with right angled corners, and cushioning means in said box including wall portions hingedly connected to two opposed side walls of said box at locations spaced from the corners of the box so as to be spaced from each other and extend away from said side walls in the erected condition of the latter to cushion a fragile article inserted between said walls portions by the latter against shocks to which the box is subjected, said locations at which the wall portions are 'higedly connected to said two opposed side walls of the box are adjacent the diagonally related corners of the box which being furthest from each other in the collapsed condition of the box, and said wall portions being foldable in opposite directions about medial lines thereof to .move away from each other during erection of said box and thereby embrace an article placed between said wall portions, each of said wall portions having a distance from said medial line thereof to said locations where the wall portions are hingedly connected to the said walls of the box which is smaller than the width of the side walls so that said Wall portions are skewed relative to said side walls in the erected condition of the box, said cushioning means having a hinged lateral part extending between said wall portions adjacent one end of the box in the erected condition of the latter so that said lateral part spaces an article disposed between said wall portions from said one end of the box.

2. A container as in claim 1; further comprising a fiexible connection between one of said wall portions near said medial line thereof, and the adjacent side wall of the box to ensure that said wall portions of the cushioning means fold in opposite directions during erection of the box.

3. A one-piece cardboard blank for forming a shock proof container for a fragile article; said blank comprising a box defining first section including four foldably connected, substantially rectangular side wall forming portions in side-by-side relationship, end closure forming flaps extending foldably from the ends of certain of said side wall forming portions, and an elongated narrow portion extending along one side of said box defining section and f-oldably joined to the adjacent side wall torming portion of the latter; and a second section for defining a cushioning structure extending foldably from said elon gated narrow portion of the box defining firs-t section and including foldable wall defining portions and a flap defining portion at the side of said second section remote from said first section, said second section including a rectangular area between said flap thereof and said elongated narrow portion of the first section, said rectangular area having a central, longitudinally extending fold line and spaced transverse cuts extending across said fold line between the opposite sides of the said rectangular area so that a wall defining portion between said transverse cuts is foldable in one direction at said central fold line while wall defining portions between said transverse cuts and the adjacent ends of said area are foldable in the opposite direction at said central fold line.

4. A blank as in claim 3; wherein said second section further includes a tab extending centrally from said flap thereof.

5. A blank as in claim 4; wherein said second section further includes a leg defining portion extending from said flap thereof at one side of the latter and terminating in a tab defining portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 198,507 12/1934 Bird 22939 2,528,603 1 1/ 195 0 'McDermott. 2,732,123 1/ 1956 Bolding. 2,783,692 3 1957 Bolding. 3,059,830 10/ 1962 Kramer 229-39 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ONE-PIECE CARBOARD CONTAINER FOR A FRAGILE ARTICLE COMPRISING FOUR FOLDABLY CONNECTED SIDE WALLS ANGULARLY MOVABLE BETWEEN A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT COLLAPSED CONDITION AND AN ERECTED CONDITION WHERE SAID SIDE WALLS DEFINE A BOX WITH RIGHT ANGLE CORNERS, AND CUSHIONING MEANS IN SAID BOX INCLUDING WALL PORTIONS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO TWO OPPOSED SIDE WALLS OF SAID BOX AT LOCATIONS SPACED FROM THE CORNERS OF THE BOX SO AS TO BE SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND EXTEND AWAY FROM SAID SIDE WALLS IN THE ERECTED CONDITION OF THE LATTER TO CUSHION A FRAGILE ARTICLE INSERTED BETWEEN SAID WALLS PORTIOINS BY THE LATTER AGAINST SHOCKS TO WHICH THE BOX IS SUBJECTED, SAID LOCATIONS AT WHICH THE WALL PORTIONS ARE HIGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID TWO OPPOSED SIDE WALLS OF THE BOX ARE ADJACENT THE DIAGONALLY RELATED CORNERS OF THE BOX WHICH BEING FURTHEST FROM EACH OTHER IN THE COLLAPSED CONDITION OF THE BOX, AND SAID WALL PORTIONS BEING FOLDABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ABOUT MEDIAL LINES THEREOF TO MOVE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER DURING ERECTION OF SAID BOX AND THEREBY EMBRACE AND ARTICLE PLACED BETWEEN SAID WALL PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID WALL PORTIONS HAVING A DISTANCE FROM SAID MEDIAL LINE THEREOF TO SAID LOCATIONS WHERE THE WALL PORTIONS ARE HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE SAID WALLS SO THAT WHICH IS SMALLER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE SIDE WALLS SO THAT SAID WALL PORTIONS ARE SKEWED RELATIVE TO SAID SIDE WALLS IN THE ERECTED CONDITION OF THE BOX, SAID CUSHIONING MEANS HAVING A HINGED LATERAL PART EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID WALL PORTIONS ADJACENT ONE END OF THE BOX IN THE ERECTED CONDITION OF THE LATTER SO THAT SAID LATERAL PART SPACES AN ARTICLE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID WALL PORTIONS FROM SAID ONE END OF THE BOX. 